The present invention relates to an art which manages ports to be used, using virtual port data, in a mixer system including a plurality of ports which input and output audio signals (or video signals) and a plurality of processing channels which process the audio signals (or the video signals).
Conventionally, a digital mixer performs various signal processing such as mixing on a plurality of digital audio signals. The digital mixer includes a plurality of input ports, a plurality of input channels, a plurality of output channels and a plurality of output ports. The input channels are connected with desired input ports by input patch sections, and perform signal processing on audio signals input to the connected input ports. The output channels are connected with desired output ports by output patch sections, and the output patch sections supply audio signals, which have been signal-processed in the output channels, to the connected output ports. Each of signal processing functions of the digital mixer, including signal processing in the input ports, the input channels, the output channels and the output ports, is controlled by various parameters set by a human operator's operation to a user interface (also represented as “UI”) of the digital mixer. In this specification, a series of the signal processing functions of the digital mixer, the UI for controlling them, etc. will be collectively referred to as “mixer system”. For example, if a single digital mixer having an operation panel (UI) completes signal processing from input to output, the single digital mixer constitutes one “mixer system” by itself. Also, if a plurality of apparatuses including a console (UI) connected via an audio network share and perform signal processing from input to output, the plurality of apparatuses constitute one whole “mixer system”. One example of such mixer system is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2004-247898.
Each of the input and output ports (hereinafter referred to as “ports” if it is not necessary to distinguish these two types of parts) includes port data (e.g., gains, phases, delay time, etc.) which is a set of parameters to control sound properties of each of input and output audio signals. The conventional mixer system controls the port data of all the ports of equipment belonging to the mixer system, regardless of whether the individual ports are connected with the processing channels (i.e., whether participating in signal processing). As all the ports are configured to be occupied by one mixer system, some of the plurality of ports cannot be released for use from management of the mixer system. For example, some of the plurality of ports cannot be used for another mixer system, or two of the ports cannot be directly interconnected independently of management of the mixer system. In addition, in a mixer system having a plurality of apparatuses, if ports exceed processing channels in number, many of the ports remain unconnected. The conventional mixer system includes port data for remote control so that the console remotely controls the ports via the network. As the conventional mixer system is configured to control all the ports, it is necessary to prepare the port data for remote control in the console also for the ports unconnected with the processing channels. Hereinafter in this specification, setting values of parameters stored in a device for controlling behaviors of the device in response to a human operator's operation to a user interface of another device will be referred to as “remote control”. Also setting values of parameters stored in a device for controlling behaviors of the device itself in response to a human operator's operation to a user interface of the device will be referred to as “local control”.